By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Saben Lee’s last dance in the Basketball Champions League was one to remember. Dragging Manisa to a perfect 2-0 away start in the competition, he first put up 36 points over UCAM Murcia in his tournament’s debut and then tied the all-time scoring record for a single game in Belgrade.
His 43 points over FMP SoccerBet came incredibly. But he wasn’t the first to score as many points in Basketball Champions League history; another small-sized American guard like Keifer Sykes once did it in January 2019, and one Turkish team was still in the mix.
Following Saben Lee and Keifer Sykes, there are five more players to complete the Basketball Champions League 40-point scoring club: Martin Zeno, Jimmy Baron, Braian Angola, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, and finally Rion Brown. Let’s check them all in detail.
| Player (Team) | Points | Opposing team | Date |
| Saben Lee (Manisa) | 43 pts | vs. FMP | 9 October 2024 |
| Keifer Sykes (Avellino) | 43 pts | vs. Bandirma | 22 January 2019 |
| Martin Zeno (Oradea) | 42 pts | vs. Kataja | 18 January 2017 |
| Jimmy Baron (Neptunas) | 42 pts | vs. Usak Sportif | 6 December 2016 |
| Braian Angola (Pinar Karsiyaka) | 41 pts | vs. UCAM Murcia | 3 January 2023 |
| Mindaugas Kuzminskas (AEK) | 40 pts | vs. Hapoel Holon | 5 March 2024 |
| Rion Brown (Kataja) | 40 pts | vs. Maccabi Rishon LeZion | 6 December 2016 |
Saben Lee (Manisa Basket) – 43 points vs FMP SoccerBet
Very few before him have had such an impact on overseas basketball on the offensive end, showcasing a full package when it comes to adding points to his scoreboard.
Able to draw fouls while driving to the lane and collect points at the line (14/18 FT in Belgrade yesterday), he’s effective in traffic near the rim, quickly attacking drop defenses or pulling up from three-point range. Completing his score, yesterday he had 10/17 from two and 3/4 from deep.
Unfortunately enough for Basketball Champions League fans, this will likely be his last game in the competition, as he’s set to replace Jordan Loyd in Maccabi Tel Aviv. What a way to leave the stage.
Keifer Sykes (Avellino) – 43 points vs Bandirma Banvit
If Keifer Sykes was watching yesterday’s action, he knew something was coming: he wouldn’t be alone anymore on top of the Basketball Champions League single-game scoring record holders.
Saben Lee’s offensive show doesn’t take anything away from the former Avellino guard’s amazing performance over Bandit in January 2019. Despite that being a losing effort on the road, he still put up 43 points over 10/14 on two-pointers, 6/10 from deep, and 5/8 at the line.
After averaging 14.1 points per game with the green-and-black Italian team, he played only one more game in the Basketball Champions League, this time for a Turkish team: Turk Telekom Ankara.
Martin Zeno (Oradea) – 42 points vs Kataja
Exactly two years and four days before Keifer Sykes could appear on the Basketball Champions League scene, Martin Zeno tied the scoring record for a single BCL game with 42 points, as another American – we will discover him soon – already achieved such a feat.
Leaving Kataja on the losing end, he erupted for 42 points for Oradea over a complete-package shooting night of 11/17 from two-point range, 6/9 from the perimeter, and 2/3 at the charity stripe.
Appearing for the Romanian side in both the 2017 and 2019 FIBA Europe Cup, that season will always remain the best one for the now 38-year-old scorer: also thanks to that exciting performance over the Finnish team, he ultimately collected an International career-high 14.1 points per game.